Romagna cooked milk. Also from Bologna; a similar version is also found in Tuscany, while in Piedmont the milk is not slowly reduced over the heat.
It is one of my sweet treats, simple and good things.
Cow’s milk is used; with goat’s milk the texture does not turn out well, while sheep’s milk has flavor notes that don’t lend themselves to this delicate dessert. It remains one of my dreams to be able to raise a dairy cow again, not only for milk and fresh cheese production; in truth I can’t even consume it freely. But the gesture itself, the lifestyle, is what fascinates me.
Luckily my children raise animals and I live on the hills of the Langhe; certainly animals and nature are not lacking.
Back to our Romagna cooked milk; among the desserts I used to eat when visiting my mother-in-law, the cooked milk was a favorite, along with ciambella or zuppa inglese.
You must concentrate the milk by reducing the quantity by about 50%; meanwhile work the eggs and the sugar…
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For more sweet specialties I suggest taking a look at the recipes that follow.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Water bath, Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Romagna Cooked Milk…Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 9 egg yolks
- 1 lemon zest (left in strips)
- as needed caramel
Tools
A small saucepan for the milk, a bowl for whisking the eggs, a mold and a baking pan for the water bath. The tools I use can be found in my buying tips.
- Molds
- Ramekins
And now step-by-step procedure to make the cooked milk
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the sugar and lemon zest. Bring to a slow boil and reduce the quantity by about half.
Meanwhile prepare the caramel and pour it into the mold. If you keep the mold in hot water while making the caramel you avoid the caramel setting too quickly. Beat the yolks without whisking them to incorporate air and
Combine with the cooled milk to avoid cooking the yolks. Mix well, remove the lemon strips and filter. Pour the mixture into the caramel-lined mold and bake in a water bath for about 90 minutes at 356 °F.
Once cool transfer to a serving plate. Soft and delicate.
A few extra tips
In my recipe it is not written to add half a teaspoon of instant coffee powder — it gives aroma and contrast to the flavor. In the ingredients you’ll also find the caramel sauce recipe so you can always have it ready. Very convenient to use in many preparations and long-lasting. Cooked milk keeps in the refrigerator. It is even better the next day.
